Sneak Attack: Electric Trailers Turn ICE Trucks Into Hybrids – CleanTechnica

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Recently, when I saw a video about pulling a travel trailer that brings its own power to the game. And, after seeing too many memes about making undesired modifications to rifles, I immediately thought to myself, “You know what? Screw you! *Turns your truck into a hybrid*”

Why would I feel like this is a sneak attack of sorts? Because using an ICE vehicle to pull an electric assist travel trailer seems a little off at first. Being an EV enthusiast, I thought first of how much an EV trailer can prevent range loss, extra charging time, or (the worst outcome) not making it out to a desired destination.

I didn’t think much about how an EV travel trailer could benefit ICE tow vehicles because ICE vehicles don’t really have a towing range problem. Yes, they usually do lose half of their range or more when towing, but there are stations offering gas and diesel fuel all over the place. Running short on range just means a few extra 5-10 minute stops, making for very little impact on range.

But, when an ICE tow vehicle tows an EV travel trailer, the fuel economy benefits of basically turning a camping rig into a hybrid come into play:

The popular RV YouTube Channel RV Miles (I know it’s popular because my mom keeps telling me about it LOL) recently went to take a look at the Pebble Flow travel trailer, which has an electric axle and a battery pack designed to help push the trailer along, essentially freeing the tow vehicle from that responsibility.

Unlike previous trips, this time he got to actually tow the trailer, which is important because easy towing is the key benefit to laying down the cash it takes to buy this trailer. So, this time he actually got to test it in a meaningful way. But, instead of seeing how it tows in an EV, he hooked it up to a Porsche Cayenne, a smaller ICE SUV.

To be methodical, he tested it first unpowered, then using different settings for assist level. The Pebble Flow has the ability to act like a brake controller, but in reverse, setting the assist level instead of setting the braking level. But, with regenerative braking, it can help with slowing down, too. It also had the benefit of dynamic control, using the electric axle to minimize sway, porpoising, etc. On the flip side, the trailer also has a “recharge” mode, where it can do mild regenerative braking to use the tow vehicle’s energy for trailer charging, which would reduce MPG, but allow for more power at the campsite for things like air conditioning, heat, cooking, etc.

Ultimately, you’re better off environmentally to pull an EV trailer with an EV tow vehicle, but for people who can’t, this is still a great option. Collecting up regenerative braking power, charging at RV parks, and doing some solar charging can help an ICE tow vehicle avoid burning twice as much fuel. This essentially turns an ICE truck into a through-the-road plugin hybrid, greatly reducing the environmental impacts of RVing.

Featured image by Pebble.